Thursday February 7 2008

New survey claims coach travel is most stress-free

Coach travel is the least stressful way of getting to a holiday destination, a study has found.
 
People travelling by coach are more likely to remain relaxed throughout their journey than those travelling by air, train or car, it suggests.

Train travel was most likely to raise the blood pressure, contradicting the popular belief that it was one of the most relaxing ways to travel long distances. Air travel was found to be the next most stressful.

In the study, which was carried out jointly by the travel magazine TTG and a holiday operator, four families were fitted with heart rate monitors before travelling from Britain to Disneyland Paris. Readings were taken before the trip and then every 30 minutes.

Huw Williams, a spokesman for the holiday company, said the train participant's pulse seemed to rise during the queue to get on to the train and then during the mid-part of the journey itself.

The pulse of the air passenger, who was the second most stressed participant, rose when the flight was delayed and when being transferred to the hotel by the shuttle bus.

The participant who drove displayed signs of anxiety when packing the car and adjusting the headlamp reflectors to comply with French law. Higher levels of tension were also noticed when driving off the ferry and adjusting to driving on the other side of the road.

But the pulse rate of the coach passenger suggested a state of serenity. It rose only while waiting for the coach to turn up and when fumbling for travel documents before the trip started.